The Goddess's Hero
by Gundam-Knight-Chris
Summary: A teenager from our world is sent to the world of Nippon to assist Okami Amaterasu and Issun in combating the dark forces of Orochi. However, he'll soon learn that even in this world, there are forces more sinister that seek the death of the Sun God.
1. Prologue

**What's up, everyone! This is GKC here bringing you a new crossover project between Capcom's Okami and one of my favorite anime series, Fate/stay night.**

 **The summary for the story is a teenager from our world is sent to the world of Nippon to assist Okami Amaterasu and Issun in combatting the dark forces of Orochi. Assisting the teen are the Heroic Spirits who will grant them their weapons and abilities to fight against the darkness. However, the teenager and Amaterasu are being pursued by another who uses the dark powers of Heroic Spirits corrupted by the Holy Grail.**

 **Now for this, I'm having a poll for the first weapon that the teen will collect is a sword from the Saber Class. I will post up the selected Saber-class Heroic Spirits and you will vote. By then, once the second chapter has been posted, that will mark the end of voting. I will also take suggestions in the review box on your favorite Servant and count them as votes.**

 **Now for the disclaimer: I do not own, except my OCs, Okami or Fate/stay night. All rights belong to their respective owners.**

 **Now let's get this party started… BEGIN!**

* * *

 **The Goddess's Hero**

* * *

 **Prologue:** Legend of Nagi, Shiranui, and the Foreigner

* * *

 _Long, long ago…_

 _A tiny hamlet known as Kamiki lay nestled in a grove of proud and beautiful cherry blossoms._

 _Each and every tree around the quiet burg was honored as a god._

 _However, the village was not without its dark secrets._

 _To satiate the appetite of Orochi, a fearsome cave-dwelling beast, a young maiden was offered as a sacrifice at the annual festival._

 _With a body like a mountain and 8 heads mounted on necks the size of tree trunks, its blood-red eyes alone were said to curse anyone who gazed into them. No one dared disobey the horrific beast._

 _When the night of the sacrifice drew near… A mysterious white wolf and a foreigner with burning red eyes appeared outside the village._

 _This wolf, its coat as brilliant as snow, was dubbed Shiranui._

 _The wolf's companion, dubbed the Foreigner, seemed to have come from the Western lands dressed in black with eyes like rare gems and an elegant beautiful face. No one knew the Foreigner's gender only that they were considered sought after by many from their homeland._

 _The wolf and its companion kept a watchful eye on anyone who ventured outside the village, and made a habit of patrolling the streets at night._

 _People assumed the wolf to be a familiar of Orochi and the Foreigner as a demon in human skin._

 _One villager took it upon himself to face the fearsome Shiranui and the elusive Foreigner._

 _The warrior Nagi attempted many times to challenge the wolf and the genderless Foreigner. But his attempts were thwarted by Shiranui's swift movements and the Foreigner's skills with a blade._

 _Before long, the night of the accursed festival had arrived. A white plumed arrow heralded the coming sacrifice._

 _Piercing the sky, the arrow sunk its shaft squarely into the home of Nami, the village's most beautiful maiden._

 _Nagi, harboring a secret love for Nami, was enraged by this sign._

 _Determined to put an end to Orochi once and for all, Nagi traveled to the beast's cave in place of his beloved._

 _The Moon Cave, a place as dark as evil itself, served as Orochi's home. As Nagi stood bravely before the entrance… A beast appeared, eyes glowing crimson upon 8 thrashing necks. Orochi stood tall before him, anxious for another sacrifice._

 _Nagi leapt with incredible grace, swinging his blade valiantly. On and on he sliced, well into the moonless night… But Orochi's hide was like steel. The blade left nary a scratch._

 _At long last, Nagi, his energy spent from the intense battle, dropped to his knees, fatigued and gasping for breath. He knew he was staring death in the face._

 _It was then that the wolf and the foreigner appeared. As if to protect Nagi, they stood their ground before Orochi._

 _In the darkness of the cave, the wolf's coat shone brilliantly and in the foreigner's hands was a magnificent sword that shined with an untamed light. Alas, it was Shiranui and its companion, the wolf and the genderless warrior that dwelled outside the village._

 _Baring its fearsome claws, Shiranui leapt toward Orochi. Wielding their sword, the Foreigner charged with a mighty roar._

 _Orochi reared its terrifying heads, readying its fangs for battle._

 _The two beasts struggled wildly, thrashing in the darkness. The Foreigner's blade glowed fiercely, piercing away the darkness while cutting into the serpent's steel-like hide._

 _Mysterious and terrifying, the spectacle continued. Shiranui summoned gust of divine wind to counter Orochi's flames. The Foreigner fought against the serpent using speed unrivaled by that of the wolf, wielding a cursed spear that struck several blows to Orochi's body._

 _As Orochi closed in on Shiranui and the Foreigner, sharpened claws glistening… A gigantic tree suddenly sprouted forth, shielding the wolf. The genderless warrior summoned a bow and shot arrow after arrow at the eyes of Orochi, frustrating the beast but hurting it._

 _The two fought gallantly to gain the upper hand. However… Orochi, protected by a mystical power, was not easily bested._

 _Shiranui, covered in gashes, majestic coat dyed crimson, stood exhausted before the mighty Orochi. The Foreigner fought valiantly against Orochi, determined to protect their wolf companion only to fall victim to the jaws of the 8 headed beast, wounded gravely to the point of death._

 _Orochi saw a chance to strike what would be the final blow. But Shiranui refused to give in. With its last ounce of strength, the majestic wolf gazed heavenward and unleashed a mighty howl. Suddenly, the black clouds overhead dissipated. The light from above glinted off Nagi's sword as a beacon of hope._

 _Guided by his sword, Nagi, who had been taking shelter in the shadows, stood proudly to face his adversary. Channeling all his strength into his scarred and battered arms, he leapt ferociously toward Orochi, his sword poised high. The golden sword danced in his hands like a puppet on a string._

 _One by one, Orochi's fearsome heads separated from their owner. Orochi's broken body collapsed in a lake of its own blood. In that instant, the curse that plagued the villagers was lifted._

 _As the battle subsided, the sun shone once again in the sky. Shiranui had succumbed to Orochi's poison and struggled to breathe. The Foreigner's wounds were grievous, they could barely stand on their own two feet._

 _Nagi scooped the beast into his arms and returned to Kamiki, the Foreigner following behind. When they reached the village, Shiranui was no longer moving and the Foreigner had collapsed next to the white wolf. The village elder gently stroked the wolf's head while a young woman placed the Foreigner's head on her lap. In response, Shiranui let out a hoarse and pitiful bark… Then closed its eyes and drifted off as if into slumber, the genderless warrior passing away with a small grin. However, from the warrior's passing, thirteen glowing lights left the Foreigner's body and scattered all over the land, never to be seen again, however, one light stayed by the warrior's side, revealing itself to be the sword they wielded to combat Orochi._

 _Peace had at last returned to Kamiki Village. In honor of Shiranui's and the Foreigner's heroic exploits, the villagers erected a shrine and placed a statue of the wolf within it while the genderless warrior was buried by the shrine, the magnificent sword they wielded placed on a pedestal of stone near the Konohana tree, bounded by many seals to prevent malicious hands from taking the blade._

 _Nagi's sword was christened "Tsukuyomi" and placed inside the Moon Cave._

 _The villagers all looked forward to an age of endless peace… However, this is not the end of the story… There is more to this tale than most people know._

 _100 years had passed since Nagi, Shiranui, and the Foreigner's heroic exploits. It happened so quickly that no one in the village even took notice._

* * *

 **A/N: That's the end of the prologue. Sorry if it seems but I've been pretty busy as of late.**

 **In any case, I just like to send a shout out to Doom Marine 54, who thinks he can try and intimidate me. Just give up, man. You can't beat me, eventually, somewhere in the future, you'll get bored of this. So save us all the trouble and just stop already, it's pathetic. I, myself, am going to grow bored of doing Fanfictions one day and it won't change a thing. If you're still insulting me, my family, and everything I do then that's just your own childish ego getting to you. Me on the otherhand? I'm actually going to be living my life unlike you so just grow up already, kid.**

 **Please comment and review on this but no flames or harsh criticisms or I'll report you.**

 **If you ignored the warning, well, I warned you.**

 **Thank you all to my loyal supporters, you're all the reason I keep going.**

 **Peace out, everyone~**


	2. Awakening! The Wolf and the Hero

**What's up, everyone! This is GKC here bringing you the first chapter of 'Goddess's Hero', so far it seems in the poll, Nero's Noble Phantasm is winning the ensuing race.**

 **Just to point out, Amaterasu will have a human form and also the new hero, Zero Ulrich, shall be introduced this chapter and brought into Nippon.**

 **Now for the disclaimer: I do not own, except my OCs, Okami or Fate/stay night. All rights belong to their respective owners.**

 **Now let's get this party started… BEGIN!**

* * *

 **The Goddess's Hero**

* * *

 **Chapter 1:** Awakening! The Wolf and the Hero

* * *

 **Moon Cave**

Deep within the remnants of the horrendous beast Orochi's lair, a ruined shrine with a lone bell and a purplish-blue metal sword with a crescent moon on the hilt sat embedded in the stone. A sealing charm placed upon the blade of the weapon.

Stepping towards the weapon, a shadowy figure looked upon the sword. "Is this the legendary sword? Is this Tsukuyomi, the sword that banished the dreaded Orochi?" The figure wondered aloud in a male voice as he grasped the handle of the blade and used all his strength to pull it out. "No… it couldn't be. It's just a legend… Nothing but a fairy tale!"

With one last pull, the sword eventually came out of the stone. However… From within the shadows, eight pairs of glowing red eyes stared at the lone figure.

Jumping in fright, the shadowy man drops Tsukuyomi and quivers in fear at the sight of the eyes. Malicious purple-black smoke erupted from the seal that the sword rested upon. The events were too much for the man as he ran away, fleeing for his life. However, the shadowy man trips on the floor, falling in a small circle with the Japanese kanji for 'fire' written on it as he looked back in terror at the rising wisps of smoke.

Directly in front of the man, a darkened serpentine head with what could be a kabuto samurai helmet looked down at the human with burning scarlet eyes. "O, he who seeks power… He who has broken my bonds… Speak the words, "I wish darkness unto the world." Utter that prayer unto me, and unleash my power."

The man gave the serpent head silence then noticed the rest of the seven heads looking right at him. He quickly stood up and fled from the monster, who released a bone-chilling roar that echoed across the land. The shadowy man fled the Moon Cave, not daring to look back in fear of being devoured by the beast.

The eight headed creature escaped from the cave, spreading fire and death across all of nature. The ensuing blaze destroying plants and trees while the skies were coated in a terrible darkness, the sun forever blotted out by black clouds.

* * *

 _A horrible tragedy suddenly swept over the land._

 _However, there was one village that seemed to escape the terrible curse. The tiny settlement of Kamiki Village enjoyed the protection of a sacred tree._

 _It is here that the real story begins._

* * *

Upon the shrine of Shiranui, the raging black storm filled the blood-red sky, boulders and rocks thrown about in the entire land until one such boulder was thrown towards the statue of the white wolf. Before it could be destroyed however, a powerful force blocked the projectile, shattering it into pebbles.

The one who stopped the stone was a rather young woman that was fairly tall with a purple aura surrounding her. She was breath-takingly beautiful with long black hair that is tied at the back with two strands parting to the sides at the front of her face, her purple earrings clipped to her earlobes, and the two pairs of leaves that cover her breasts and the other pair found in her hair. She wore a pink kimono and a purple wrap that reveals the top of her chest, her back and her rear.

 _ **Wood Sprite**_ **Sakuya**

"How troublesome!" Sakuya said in annoyance. "This is just like the ancient prophecy of doom." She looks back at the statue of the wolf. "What has transpired to bring about such calamity? We must act quickly! There is no time to lose!" The wood sprite looked upon the stone wolf with a caring look. "My power has diminished over the years I've spent protecting this area. I don't have much time left in this world."

With a wave of her hand, a flow of power warped around in front of her. "Amaterasu, now is the time." A stone mirror appeared in front of Sakuya. "We have never needed your power more. Shine your divine light upon this broken and polluted world. Let your heavenly rays become our hope as you guide us all!" She sends the mirror towards the wolf statue which attaches on the stone's back, releasing a calming heat that unveils the stone to reveal a white wolf with crimson markings running along her fur.

 _ **Okami**_ **Amaterasu**

Amaterasu released a bark as she awoke from her slumber then shook her body, removing light particles from her white fur. She drops from the pedestal and stares up at Sakuya.

"Ah! Such divine white light! Such beauty and grace! The only one capable of such a wondrous spectacle is none other than our mother and the origin of all that is, Amaterasu!" The wood sprite praised the wolf.

Amaterasu didn't seem to be paying attention at all to Sakuya's words, only content in looking around curiously.

"How delightful to see that one of the two saviors whose brave sacrifice sealed away the evil demon so many years ago has not changed one bit." The wood sprite continued her praise as the white wolf sat on her haunches. "Seeing you emerge after so many years spent as a statue brings happiness to my heart!" She wiped away a tear while sniffling a bit.

Amaterasu yawned then laid down on the ground to try and sleep more, obviously not really wanting to be disturbed. Sakuya could only stare at the laziness the wolf was showing.

"Amaterasu…" The beautiful wood sprite directed her gaze to the sky. "Gaze above you and take in the condition of the sky. Since your untimely departure from our midst, the world has succumbed to devious and vicious beasts. They have ravaged our fine and bountiful country of Nippon… But never have the circumstances been worse than they are at this very moment."

The Sun Goddess's black eyes trailed over to the gravestone that sat next to the shrine she slumbered upon. Reluctantly getting back on her paws, Amaterasu gave the headstone a few sniffs then whimpered when she remembered whose scent rested beneath the ground.

Sakuya, feeling the sadness within Amaterasu, looked down to the ground. "I'm sorry to say, Amaterasu, but your companion, the heroic Foreigner who battled the monster Orochi with you and Nagi, succumbed to their wounds. From their death, the Foreigner's body released thirteen lights that housed powerful spirits within that scattered all across the land, save for one, the sword which now lies sealed in stone at the tree that became my home."

The white wolf placed her forehead against the headstone, a lone tear dropping to the ground before she backs away and looks up at Sakuya.

"Please use your powers to banish the darkness and punish those who would do us harm." A small shake in her chest caused the wood sprite to look down in confusion. "...Hm?" The rustling in her breasts grew. "Eh? What is this? Has something stolen its way into my robe?" Suddenly, she starts to snicker before outright laughing from what could've been being tickled by some unknown creature.

Though due to her shaking her chest, a small green aura ball popped out from between her breasts which rolled on the floor.

"Phew! What on earth?" Sakuya wondered, looking down at the green bug. "You again?" She spoke in disgust and irritation.

The bug rolled then started bouncing around, shocking Amaterasu. "Ow ow ow ow ow! Are you nuts? Boy, for a little thing, you sure make a big fuss!" The bug exclaimed in a squeaky child-like voice. "I was just tryin' to make the conversation a bit more interesting, that's all."

"Were you napping in my clothes again, bug?" Sakuya questioned with a deadpanned expression.

"Bug?" The small little bouncing creature repeated, insulted. "I told you a thousand times not to call me that! I'm a wandering artist. The name's Issun!"

 _ **Wandering Artist**_ **Issun**

"I'll show you just how great I am and it won't be long till you're bowing before my great brush!" Issun stated proudly then brought up a scroll five times his size and placed it on Amaterasu's muzzle, giving her a view of a well-drawn sketch of Sakuya. "Well, whaddya think? Even cuter than the real thing, no?"

He bounces around the curious canine then hopped onto her nose. "What's with you, furball? You look kinda down in the dumps." Issun looked at Amaterasu for a brief second. "Actually… You look kinda familiar…" He snapped his tiny fingers in realization. "Got it! You look just like that statue of Shiranui!"

Before Issun knew it, the wolf tossed him into her mouth then spat him out, covered in slobber.

"Whoa! Whaddya think you're doin'!?" The bug exclaimed, bouncing around angrily. "Are you crazy? A handsome guy like me should never be covered in wolf slobber! You'll regret messin' with the great Issun!" He stopped hopping then unsheathed a tiny blade. "Don't make me use my prized sword, Denkomaru against you!"

Further away, a loud growling sound could be heard.

Issun quickly bounced around up to Amaterasu's side in fear. "Wh-Wh-What's that growling sound? And why's it so dark, anyway?"

"O, great god Amaterasu…" Sakuya looked at the white wolf. "I've used all the power I have to protect Kamiki Village. The village lives on. Their spirits lie encased in my fruit. Cut it free, and the village will be reborn!" Behind the wood sprite, a swarm of cherry blossoms appeared, materializing a tall dead tree. "I trust in you. I know that you will lead us down the right path. Only your awesome power can restore life to the world. Do not fret for the Hero's reincarnation shall join you as well in this quest."

Amaterasu blinked, tilting her head in slight confusion. How exactly is she supposed to find this reincarnated hero?

* * *

 **Real World**

An alarm clock rang loudly, the sunny rays of light gleaming through the window as they shined upon a lone figure sleeping on a queen-sized bed.

A pale hand smashed the alarm clock, the figure sat up, removing their blanket to reveal a young man of eighteen years with dark brown hair similar to Final Fantasy XV character Noctis Lucis Caelum's own hairstyle, bright blue eyes, pale skin with an androgynous face, and a slim body with a light muscle tone.

"Ugh… I hate Mondays…" The young man groaned, rubbing his eyes as he removed his blankets and sheets to get out of bed.

A knock on his bedroom door drew his attention. "Master Zero, your breakfast is ready." A feminine voice spoke behind the wood.

"Thank you, Delia." The boy named Zero replied as he dressed himself in his usual daily clothes. He wore light grey pants with two black belts wrapped around his right thigh, a black leather belt, black gloves, and high black boots. He wore a grey coat that is much simpler in design, with an upturned collar and short sleeves with black cuffs, though the coat lacks coattails. Underneath the coat, he wears what appears to be a black long-sleeved shirt, with a grey vest with black clasps over it. He smiled to himself with his clothing, special ordering this design about a year ago was worth the money, black was always his favorite color. He thought about putting in white to contrast the colors but he thought against it.

Zero left his bedroom then marched down the Victorian stairs that his father, a well known European CEO of a multinational company that specialises in providing military grade hardware for the United Nations, recreated in the family manor. The young man entered the dining room and sat at the end of the long table where a light spread of bacon, eggs, pancakes, toast, and milk were set out in front of him.

As he ate, one of the maids came over to the young man and bowed slightly. "Master Zero, I've come to inform you that your father and mother were called back to America for important business with another company."

Zero sighed, this usually happened all the time when his parents were away on business. "It's fine, I understand." He finished up his breakfast then drank his milk. "Is there anything else important you would like to say to me?"

"Well…" The maid blushed slightly in embarrassment. "Master Zero, I wanted to tell you that my sister was getting married and she wanted me to be there for it but…"

"You don't have the money to get there, is that it?" The Ulrich heir questioned.

Judging by the growing blush on her cheeks, the young man knew he hit the mark. "Um, yes, Master Zero."

Sighing, the brown-haired boy reached into his pocket and took out a checkbook then signed his name with enough money from his personal bank account. "Here, this should be enough to get you there and consider that your month's pay."

The maid took the check then looked at it. If this were an anime, her eyes would practically be bulging out of her sockets. "T-this is…" She trailed on, looking ready to faint at the moment.

"Take the next few days off as a vacation." Zero smiled at the young woman only to be met with a hug which he returned by patting the maid's back.

"Thank you so much, Master Zero!" She squealed with joy then released her grip on the young man and quickly left.

The Ulrich heir rubbed his head, watching the maid practically sprint out of the dining room. He took this chance to stand up from his place in his seat and marched off to the library to catch up on his reading. Grabbing a book, he took a seat at his favorite red leather chair and opened it up, revealing an image of a beautiful young woman with blonde hair, green eyes, and pale skin. She wore a red and white dress with golden sabatons and held a curved red sword that looked pretty jagged.

"Fate/Extra, one of my favorite series out of all the other Fate/stay night ones." Zero said to himself as he turned a page. When he was young, his mother took him to Japan one day to introduce him to the other half of his heritage. One day, he found a visual novel series called Fate/stay night and instantly fell in love with everything about it, he even at one point tried to replicate something similar to a Noble Phantasm used by the Saber of the Fifth Holy Grail War, Artoria Pendragon.

He sometimes wondered if he could go on an adventure. Fighting monsters, rescuing pretty girls, and wielding an awesome sword to boot but alas, his childish dream came to an end when he had to grow up. Being the direct heir to a multinational million dollar company will do that to you, having to give up on something that you love to dream about.

As he read his book, Zero thought about what it would be like to wield the power of a Servant. To use the strength and skill of a swordsman like a Saber; the speed and agility of a Lancer; the accuracy of an Archer; the wisdom of a Caster; the unparalleled raging power of a Berserker; to command Phantasmal Beasts like a Rider; to conceal one's very presence like an Assassin.

The Ulrich heir was so deep into his thoughts that he did not notice the shadowy figure behind him with an amused smile. "Like what you see there, boy?"

Zero jumped slightly at the voice then turned around to notice the dark figure. "Who the heck are you!?" He exclaimed, shocked that anyone would be in his home.

Stepping out of the shadows was an elderly man dressed in a black late-Victorian era suit and a black shoulder cape with grey hair, a short beard, and pale skin. His most defining moment however were the blood red eyes that he possessed. He grinned at the boy. "My name is Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg but you may know me as the Wizard Marshall."

Zero blinked at the old man then his eyes widened like dinner plates. "EH!?" He exclaimed in surprise, dropping his book on the floor. "But you're supposed to be a fictional character! How the hell are you even here!?"

Zelretch chuckled. "That, my boy, is because I'm here for someone special. And that someone is you." He gestured to the brown-haired teen.

"Say what now?" Zero tilted his head, curious.

The Dead Apostle poked at Zero's forehead then the young man started to feel tired, a wave of nausea suddenly hitting his body then he fell on his back, unconscious.

"Well, that's phase one, now to begin phase two." Zelretch grinned as he effortlessly picks up the human then snaps his fingers, opening a portal to another dimension. "Good luck, kid." He tosses the boy inside then snaps his fingers once again, closing the rift.

* * *

 **Nippon**

Blue eyes slowly opened as Zero groaned, sitting up while rubbing his head to clear it of any remaining dizziness that may have been left behind. "Man, what a hangover…" He muttered to himself.

He felt a wet nose press against his face. Blinking for a few seconds, the young man found himself staring at a white wolf with strange red markings on its fur with a mirror-like object on its back.

"Hello there, what are you doing here?" Zero asked the canine, petting her head in gentle strokes. The wolf leaned into the touch, enjoying the feel of the human's fingers running through its fur.

"Oi, back off!" A tiny voice yelled then the Ulrich heir retrieved his hand after feeling a pinprick hit one of his fingers. "Who do you think you are!? You could've crushed me!"

Zero narrowed his eyes, focusing on the bouncing bug on the snout of the wolf. "A bug?" He wondered aloud.

"What was that!?" The 'bug' exclaimed, turning a bright red as it/he swung a tiny sword.

The young man quickly raised his hands. "Whoa, easy there! I didn't mean anything by it."

"Ah, I see that the Hero has finally arrived." A velvet-laced voice drew Zero's attention until his eyes laid upon a beautiful woman in a pink kimono looking at him with a soft smile on her graceful face. "What is your name, young man?"

The Ulrich heir blinked a few times. "I-It's Zero, Zero Ulrich." He stuttered.

 _ **The Hero**_ **Zero Ulrich**

"I see… I should've realized you were foreign since no citizen in all of Nippon possesses blue eyes nor wears something so outlandish." The floating woman remarked, gesturing to Zero's outfit. "Oh, where are my manners, I am Sakuya." She bowed politely at the boy.

The wolf barks garnering a soft giggle from the woman. "Oh yes, this is Amaterasu, the great mother to all."

Zero blinks. "Uh huh…"

The 'bug' hops on the wolf's snout. "And I am the great Issun, a traveling artist and wooer of women!" He declared with pride.

"Okay then… I've officially lost my mind." Zero slapped himself, hoping to wake up only to find that the three were still in front of him. "Guess not…"

Sakuya giggled at Zero's little display. "Fret not, Zero. You are not hallucinating, what you see is very real." She remarked.

"Well, where exactly am I?" The brown-haired boy asked in confusion.

Amaterasu barked, getting Zero's attention, who pets the wolf's head, being mindful not to crush Issun.

"You are in the land of Nippon, a few miles from Kamiki Village as well, young one." Sakuya informed the Ulrich heir.

"Yeah, I don't really know what that is, ma'am." Zero deadpanned.

Issun bounced a few times in annoyance. "Geez, you really are a foreigner. In the western lands, Nippon is called 'Japan'." He stated.

"This is Japan? Weird…" The young man scratched his head. "Why'd that old vampire send me here?"

"Vampire?" Sakuya exclaimed in surprise. "By vampire, do you mean the Kaleidoscope?"

Zero looked at the wood sprite in shock. "How the heck do you know about Zelretch!?"

"He's the one who talked about the legend of the reincarnated Hero." Sakuya replied.

"And you think that's me?" The young man gestured to himself.

The wood sprite nodded. "Yes, you are a foreigner so it must be true."

"Yeah…" He deadpanned.

Amaterasu tilted her head in confusion while Issun looked on bored.

Sakuya sighed. "I know this can be difficult but you are most definitely the resurrected hero."

"Yeah, sure I am." The young man folded his arms, still not believing it.

The wood sprite shook her head. "If you are going to be assisting Amaterasu, you will need a weapon. Lucky for you, the people of Kamiki Village generously paid homage to the tree in which I reside." She outstretched her hands then a bright glow shone from her hands to reveal a perfectly crafted o-katana. "Take this sword for now. Once you reach Kamiki Village, there will be a sealed weapon, covered in many sutras. You will know what to do once you touch it."

Zero took the o-katana from Sakuya and looked at the weapon. "Guess I've got no choice. If I want to get back home, I might as well help." He grimaced.

"Thank you, young Zero." Sakuya smiled beautifully as she began to float away from the trio. "Find the power that will allow you to cut the fruit on my tree, only then will the people of Kamiki Village be free from the growing darkness that Orochi has enacted." With that said, the wood sprite vanished into cherry blossoms, leaving the human, wolf, and the tiny little person on their own.

Zero glances at Amaterasu and Issun. "So where do we go?" He asked.

"Through that entrance, kid." Issun bounced, pointing at a white light inside of a giant dead tree with a large sparkling peach hanging on a dead branch.

Amaterasu already sprinted off into the tree with Issun holding on tightly to her fur, leaving the young man behind.

"Oi! Don't leave me by myself!" He exclaimed, chasing after the white wolf.

* * *

 **Inside the Tree**

"Where are we?" Issun asked the white wolf as the human followed after them, panting slightly. "It got awfully quiet all of a sudden. I don't remember any place like this in the village." He bounced around on Amaterasu's head, who looked around as well. "Well, we better keep our eyes peeled."

Zero didn't hear what the small person was talking about, he was too busy looking around in bewilderment.

"Hey, kid, let's go. We're gonna take a look around this place." Issun told the young man.

The young man looked at Amaterasu and Issun then looked down at the weapon in his hands which he straps onto his back. He follows after the wolf while looking around the setting before him, despite the dark clouds there seemed to be a great abundance of life in the area.

The trio march through a bridge with glowing red pyres still lit however, Issun stopped the wolf and human when he noticed an object shining. To Zero, it looked like a statue with a mirror reflecting a strange light on a platform. "Hold on! That's an Origin Mirror!"

"Um, what's an Origin Mirror?" The brown-haired teen questioned.

"They say once your reflection appears on its surface…" Issun bounced and looked at Zero. "your memories will be stored in the mirror for all eternity! Well, to put it shortly, you can save your progress here."

' _So it's like a savepoint for a video game.'_ Zero thought about it.

"And let me give you a little advice." Issun interrupted the boy's thinking. "You should save a number of game files. That way, you could always go back if you get stuck or something. Gotta be prepared, 'specially while you're still learning the ropes!"

Zero and Amaterasu glanced at each other with confused looks. They didn't even understand what those last parts meant but they shrugged and stepped on the platform. The light enshrouded their forms then they felt the mirror take their memories of their current progress and stored it within the object.

After 'saving' their progress, the wolf and human traveled on the bridge only to be stopped once again by Issun. "Look at all those pots just waitin' to be broken! If you bust 'em, there might be something good inside."

Zero felt something whisper in his ears. _**"Press the Square button to perform a quick attack with your sword. Press the Triangle button to perform a heavy attack. Combine both buttons to perform an assortment of combos and techniques."**_

The Ulrich heir blinked a few times in confusion on what that meant but shrugged as he unsheathed his sword and slashed a pot, breaking it open then found a rice ball inside.

 _ **Zero obtained Onigiri (S)! Use this to refill a portion of your health.**_

Those words entered his head for some strange reason. It was strange but he shrugged it off and stuffed the rice ball in one of his pockets. He glanced to his side to see Amaterasu smashing pots with her head and collecting money that looked like old century yen coins.

"Way to go, my furry friend!" Issun praised, bouncing on the wolf's muzzle. "You can do that anytime you see something you can break."

"I found food in mine." Zero shouted then slashed more pots, finding yen and more Onigiri.

"That stuff will be useful if you ever take damage." Issun stated as Amaterasu continued on with Zero following close behind.

Turning the corner from a cliff, the trio found themselves at a dead end. "Well, crap." Zero grimaced.

"Whoa, whoa, hold on there, furball! Get a load of that!" Issun told the white wolf. "That chest looks mighty tempting."

Amaterasu and Zero looked up to notice the black treasure chest with a red symbol on it.

"Let's go check it out." Issun continued, bouncing excitedly. "Getting up that high oughtta be a piece of cake."

The young man was about to interject when the same voice from before spoke in his head. **"Press the X button to jump. Then press the X button again to do a wall jump."**

He had no idea what the hell that meant but he decided to give it a try once he noticed his canine companion jump into the air, land on the rocky wall then jumped again, landing on the top. Releasing a breath, he sprinted forward and leaped into the air, kicking off the rocky surface and onto the top, grabbing onto it as he lifted his body on the ledge.

"I knew ya could do it." Issun complimented the white wolf while Zero glared at the bug since they didn't even think to help him up. "They say, "Good luck is found in high places." So, keep your eyes peeled. We don't wanna miss any treasure!"

Amaterasu rolled her eyes then charged at the treasure box, breaking it open and revealing its contents. It looked like a bluish-white doggy bone treat, the sight of it seemed to make the wolf lick her black lips in anticipation but Zero quickly took it and stored it in his pocket, drawing a whine from the goddess.

"Sorry, but we might need to use this later." The young man stated, petting the white wolf on her head.

Amaterasu whined in understanding then followed after the boy.

The heroes strolled on only to stop when they came upon a broken bridge. "Well, this is a show stopper…" Zero muttered.

"Looks like the bridge is out." Issun spoke, bouncing around on the white wolf's head. "This shouldn't be so hard, um… Amaterasu, was it? That's kinda long. Mind if I call ya "Ammy"?" The wolf gave its version of a shrug, not really minding the nickname. "Listen, Ammy… Ever heard of the spirits of the brush?"

"Spirits of the brush?" Zero wondered aloud.

Issun nodded. "That's right, kid. Good brushwork has its own soul, 'least that's what they say. Just watch. It'd take all day to explain…" He smiled widely however. "A picture's worth a thousand words, right?"

The young man scratches his head, unsure of what it meant. Glancing down at Ammy, he noticed that the tip of her snow white tail had turned black then all of a sudden a bridge seemed to magically appear in place of the one that was broken.

"Nice, huh?" Issun smirked at the bewildered look on Zero's face. "Just a little technique I've mastered called Rejuvenation. It's one of many brush techniques that use divine power. It's a brush god power that can restore broken or missing things."

Blinking, the brown-haired boy looked at the tiny figure. "That's a really amazing power." He complimented.

Puffing his small chest with pride, Issun smugly spoke, "I've practiced really hard just to master this one technique. But there are 13! Each one is a power of one of the 13 brush gods. Originally, all 13 were a single powerful deity. When the deity died, its power was split into 13 separate gods. The gods now dwell within objects all around us, but…" He paused for a few seconds. "God or no god, how could anyone have the power to master all 13!?"

Ammy licked her nose to keep it wet.

Zero looked on ahead. "I guess we'll just have to see one day if it really is possible."

With no more words said between them, the trio trudged on the bridge. Once they cleared the structure, they came upon a stone sign written in kanji. From what Zero could read of his mother's native language, it spelled "River of the Heavens".

"The River of the Heavens? They mean the fabled stardust river?" Issun spoke as the three glanced further ahead to see nothing but clouds and on the other side was a large gate with a glowing white light. "But I sure don't see anything like that around here. It couldn't be that little puddle over there, could it?"

Zero could make out a sparkling puddle of water, he was unaware however that Ammy took off to the right towards a cliff.

"Wow! Look at the stars twinkle!" Issun looked at the sky in awe. "I haven't seen such a beautiful nighttime sky in ages." The small little man blinked when he noticed how four of the stars shined brighter. "Hey, look! Are those stars forming a pattern, or is it just me?"

Ammy looked at the sight then noticed that one of the stars was missing. While Issun ranted on about putting in the missing star, the wolf used her celestial brush to put in the missing star.

Suddenly, a constellation of a dragon appeared then a white Eastern dragon flew from the stars and towards the white wolf. This time, Zero noticed it.

"What the hell!?" He exclaimed in shock as he unsheathed his sword and ran to join with Ammy and Issun, stopping next to them as he readied to battle against the newest threat.

Once the white dragon met the trio, they got a good look at it. It was massive, easily five times bigger than the three combined with red markings pupiless black eyes and a large white beard. In its four claws were four colored glass spheres that were red, green, yellow, and purple. It also seemed to be merged with a scroll with its brush-like tail coiling around.

"Ah…" The dragon spoke in a deep, rumbling voice. "Why, if it isn't mother Amaterasu. I apologize for not contacting you sooner during these long years." Its deep onyx eyes stared down at the sword-wielding human. "And you must be the fated Hero who is destined to assist the mother to all. It is quite an honor to meet you, young one." The dragon bowed its head in respect to the human then it glanced at Ammy. "I apologize for not contacting you sooner during these long years. Having never forgotten you, I, Yomigami, god of restoration, have eagerly awaited this day when we could again meet."

"Wait a second, you're a god?" Zero questioned, sheathing his katana after finding that there was no danger.

The dragon nodded. "Yes, young one, I am one of the 13 brush gods." He focused back on Ammy. "While you were away, the 13 spirits of the brush that you once possessed, including myself, have been scattered across this land of men, and now lie in disarray. I became a constellation and managed to survive until now." Yomigami's eyes narrowed serious. "The time has come for you to seek out and reunite all the techniques. Your power is what is needed to restore the dried riverbed of the heavens and renew the flow of stardust." All of a sudden the dragon disappeared and left behind was a floating Japanese kanji for 'restoration' which flew around the white wolf then entered her body.

Before they returned to the real world, Yomigami left a message to Zero. "Reincarnation of the Foreign Hero, heed these words for this will be the only time I will be able to speak with you. Find the 14 Heroic Spirits, their powers once belonged to your ancestor and now you must regain your lost power. In Kamiki Village, the first of these Heroic Spirits awaits. Reclaim its power and journey on the path of a warrior. Farewell, young one."

The trio found themselves back on the hill, the dragon nowhere in sight.

Issun, excitedly, bounced atop Ammy's head. "Wow! That was Yomigami, the god of Rejuvenation!" He stopped and thought for a second. "Wait… So you have the power of Rejuvenation now!? Can you really use it to restore the River of the Heavens?"

Zero looked down at the 'bug'. "The only way to know is to find out. Besides, I want to know something about these Heroic Spirits once we get to the village."

"Right, you're the reincarnation of the Foreign Hero. I'm sure someone there knows something about these 14 spirits." Issun suggested with Ammy yawning a bit.

The heir to the Ulrich fortune nodded. "Then let's get going." He nodded.

Ammy trods up to Zero and nuzzles against his leg to which he returns the affection by stroking the wolf's fur. Issun rolled his eyes as the trio descended down the hill to the empty river. Once they stopped for a brief moment, the small man took this chance to speak his mind. "Wonder if drawing some stardust would get the river flowing again?"

Ammy took a few steps forward while Zero watched with folded arms. "Nah… It's one thing to fix a bridge, but fixing a starry river?" Issun continued. "There's no way you could pull off a stunt like that!"

Zero noticed the white wolf's tail turn black for a split second then all of a sudden the river started to sparkle with stars. The sight was truly beautiful like the night sky had become the waters itself.

"Whoa!" Issun exclaimed in surprise. "A river of stardust! So this really must be the River of the Heavens. But what I really wanna know is who the heck drew the darn thing!"

Ammy glanced at the bewildered Zero and sent a small wink at him then trotted on through the water. Seeing no choice but to swim in it, the human jumped in and swam all the way there. Once the two cleared out of the river, Ammy shook her fur to rid herself of any water, however, it also sprayed her liquids onto Zero, covering him in more H2O.

The human grumbled then sneezed. "Great, I knew I should've taken off my clothes." He muttered.

Ammy notices a chest up ahead then headbutts into it, revealing an empty sack with a red symbol on it.

 _ **Ammy obtained: Astral Pouch**_

"Look what you found, furball!" Issun exclaimed in awe and surprise. "This Astral Pouch here's amazing. It can swallow up lots of food. Then when it's full, it can revive its owner if he or she dies! Let's start feeding it with whatever food we can find around here."

Zero took off his wet jacket and slugged it over his shoulder. "Next time we go in a body of water, tell me so I don't catch a cold." He grumbled.

Issun snickered while the wolf stumbled over to the human, her natural warmth radiating around her form which began to dry off the young man's clothes and wet body.

"Thanks, Ammy, that helps a lot." Zero smiled down at the wolf, petting her head.

The canine releases a small bark while nuzzling into the human's touch. It was heaven for her ears.

For the next few minutes, Ammy and Zero broke pots in order to collect food for the Astral Pouch then they entered the gate.

The resulting light had sent the trio to another location with waterfalls and large trees in the distance.

"Wow, it's like being in a fantasy…" The human muttered to himself while Ammy ran on ahead. "O-Oi! Don't leave me behind!"

"Then keep up, kid!" Issun shouted from atop of Ammy's head.

The wolf seemed to speed up and it took all of Zero's energy just to try and keep Ammy in his sight. They traveled up the path, passing by many ancient gates then came upon a flight of stairs that led up to an opened entrance. Once they passed through it, with Zero panting like crazy from having to run so much and the opening being sealed behind them, the trio could make out a statue of a man with balding hair, a large nose, a beard, and held up a sword with a crescent moon symbol on the handguard. There was moss and growth all over the stone statue.

"Is this…" Issun paused, looking upon the monument. "Is this the legendary shrine? We must be in the Cave of Nagi!"

Zero was confused about whoever the heck this Nagi person was. "Could someone elaborate on who this is to the guy who is not from here?"

"Oh right." The small person looked at the young man and began to explain the legend of Nagi, Shiranui, and the Foreigner. Zero listened intently to the tale and it was likely that he would have to deal with this Orochi creature at one point during the journey.

Issun looked at the statue once more. "First the River of the Heavens and now this place…" His bouncing became feverish. "Where the heck are we, furball?"

Ammy yawned, seemingly bored at the moment.

"This place is in pretty bad shape." Zero remarked, taking in the sight of Nagi's statue.

"You got that right, kid. I mean, look at that sword." Issun gestured to the broken blade being held by the legendary hero. "The gods sure didn't do much to protect this place."

The Ulrich heir noticed the white wolf strolled up to the statue, her tail turning black once more then a blade seemed to magically appear for the broken sword.

"That really WAS your brushwork all this time!" Issun exclaimed. "How'd you get so good? Exactly who are you, anyway?" The small person then looked at the sky. "Hey, there's another constellation! This one looks like a..."

A star was suddenly placed amongst the others then the constellation formed into what could've been a mouse or a gerbil. Dropping to the ground was a white rodent with red markings while mounted on its small body was a tiny sword in a red leather sheath. However, once the little rodent grabbed the handle with its mouth, it pulled it out and the blade grew in size. The rodent performed a few slashes with its blade then landed on the edge of the handle.

"Well, well, well…" The rodent spoke. "If it isn't mother Amaterasu and I see the reincarnated foreigner is here as well. It's been a long time. But with all these monsters around, the only place I could hide was in this shrine dedicated to ancient heroes. If there is anything I can do to assist you in your endeavors, I'm at your service. Make good use of this sword, as it was designed to conquer evil."

The rodent suddenly transformed into a glowing orb with a kanji for 'slash' within the orb as it enters Ammy.

"Hey, that was the god, Tachigami, master of the Power Slash technique." Issun bounced.

Zero looked at the 'bug'. "Another one of these brush gods?"

"That's right, kid." Issun suddenly realized something as he looked down at the white wolf. "Wait a minute. If you're getting all these powers… Then you're just like that Shiranui!" Seeing Ammy's confused look, the 'bug' continued. "You know, the wolf who fought and died alongside the great Nagi. Shiranui also had help from the Foreigner. When Shiranui died, the wolf's power was split into the 13 brush gods. This is crazy. Shiranui and Nagi? It's just like the legend."

Zero tuned out the rest of Issun's babbling as he looked around the shrine for anything interesting. Suddenly, a large rock in the shrine was sliced in half. "Whoa, what the hell!?"

"Wow!" Issun exclaimed. "I didn't think you had it in ya, furball! I'm not even in the same league as you! Guess I really overestimated myself."

Zero dropped down to get a closer look at the shrine of Nagi. However, once he touched it, a suddenly light streamed into him, surprising Ammy and Issun. "What the…" The Ulrich heir muttered.

" _Child of the Foreign Warrior, here these words from the father of the Shinto Gods. You, who possesses the soul of the legendary hero, take this small gift as a token from me, Izanagi."_ A deep baritone male voice spoke along the wind.

The light enshrouding Zero grew slightly brighter before vanishing to reveal a small lightning bolt amulet around the young man's neck.

 _ **Zero has obtained Izanagi's Amulet! This item allows Zero to absorb energy from fallen enemies to replenish his own prana reserves.**_

The brown-haired teen looked at the amulet then glanced back at his two companions. "Um, what the heck was that?" He asked.

"You've been given a gift from the king of the gods himself!" Issun exclaimed in surprise. "If he's favoring you then that means you're truly blessed."

Zero blinked then looked back at the amulet. "Whoa…"

"Oi, come on, kid! We've got to get moving." Issun shouted down at the young man.

"Oh, uh, right." The boy in black and grey nodded as he quickly climbed up the rocky wall then vaulted onto the cliff floor.

Issun gave Zero a small grin. "Come on, kid. We've got to go cut down that thing hanging on the tree branch."

Zero smiled, situating his katana on his back. "Alright, let's get going then."

The trio strolled towards the entrance, still sealed until Ammy used her newly acquired Power Slash brush technique to cut the wood in half, giving the small posse a chance to leave.

As they descended down the stairs, collecting apples along the way as well, Amaterasu suddenly growled threateningly, sensing an evil presence.

"What's the matter?" Zero asked before flames surrounded them, revealing many sealing kanji as if it were waiting to be sprung. Suddenly, two strange green imp-like creatures with white papers covering their faces that had red seals on them and what looked like bamboo flutes on their backs.

"What the!? Where'd they come from!" Issun exclaimed in shock while Zero unsheathed the sword from his back.

"Are these things demons?" The Ulrich heir questioned, slightly afraid as he held the katana with two hands.

"Ah, whatever. Draw first, ask questions later, right?" Issun grinned dangerously as Ammy bared her teeth at the two demons. "Ammy, use the Divine Instrument on your back to fight these freaks!"

Barking in agreement, the white wolf charged forward, using her Reflector to strike at the first of the Green Imps. The mirror-like weapon smacking the demon's head as it screeched in pain.

Zero decided to fight the second one but since he had never fought or trained in his life with a sword, his movements were sloppy. The Imp was dancing around his wild swings as if it were toying with the young man.

"Hold still, you little bastard!" Zero growled as he went for an overhead swing but the Imp giggled at him then played a small tune on its flute to disappear then reappear behind him. "What!?"

Taken off guard, Zero grunted in pain when the demon slashed at his back with its claws, scratching his jacket and shirt while drawing blood from his bare skin. The warm liquid trickled down his back as he glared hatefully at the Imp, who brought its claws to its hidden mouth to lick the human fluids off its sharp weapons.

Meanwhile, Ammy had no trouble with dealing with her opponent. To her, it was pretty weak especially when she managed to catch it off guard with her Divine Instrument. Its green body turned black and white at that moment, Issun told the wolf that she had the chance to cut it with her Celestial Brush. The results were instantaneous, despite the Imp's face being covered by that slip of paper, it was contorted in pain as its lower body was separated from its upper body then it exploded once it landed on the earth, turning into a bed of flowers.

"Well, that was easy. Now how is the kid doing?" Issun wondered as Ammy tilted her head.

"GAAH!" Zero roared in pain as he landed on his back with a severe wound on his chest in front of the two.

"Kid!" The 'bug' yelled in shock as Ammy ran over to him, releasing concerned whimpers while licking his bleeding wounds. "You need to stay back, you can't beat a demon!"

"No! I refuse to let this little creep mock me!" Zero growled as he pushed through the pain, standing up while using his katana to hold himself up. "I'll cut him to shreds with my own strength! If I am a reincarnated hero then I have to fight and kill this thing with my own two hands!"

The Green Imp laughed mockingly before it felt a sort of dangerous pressure. When it looked at the human he seemed to radiate a sort of fierce aura, an astral being appeared behind the young man, a being with crimson red eyes that ignited a sense of fear into its black heart.

Seeing that the demon was distracted, Zero took this chance to sprint at the Imp, roaring like a mad beast as his sword glinted to taste demonic blood. "Die, damn you!" He yelled as he swung the curved blade, removing the head of the Imp as a spurt of black liquid erupted from its severed neck. Throughout the excitement however, the young man didn't even notice that his blue eyes had changed crimson for a brief moment then back to his original eye color.

The barrier around the trio dispersed then the boy released a sigh and collapsed on his back. "Ouch…" He groaned while Ammy pattered over, licking Zero's injuries.

"Hey, kid, that was amazing! You actually managed to kill a demon albeit it was pretty weak, you still did a pretty cool thing." Issun complimented.

Zero nodded, gritting his teeth as he reached into his jacket pocket to bring out the wrapped up rice ball that he picked up earlier. Opening it, he took a bite from it, the wrapped seaweed and dried plum inside soothed his mind. The pain from his injuries seemed to vanish almost instantly. His jacket and shirt however were practically shreds. "Oh man, this was an expensive set." He grimaced at the loss of his clothes.

Ammy nudged her wet nose against Zero's cheek, who responded by petting her head affectionately. The wolf crooned at the feeling, her ears flat against her cranium.

"I'm okay. Thanks for worrying about me." The Ulrich heir replied with a reassuring grin.

"Okay, as much as I like this touching bond going on, can we get going now?" Issun announced with slight annoyance.

Nodding, Zero stood up, albeit with a bit of difficulty. Ammy was by his side, helping him by using her weight to balance him as the trio made the long trek back to the large tree. During the journey, they encountered more demons only Amaterasu dealt with them easily with her Divine Instrument and Celestial Brush.

* * *

 **Shrine of Shiranui - Later**

As the trio passed the portal, Zero laid against the tree to catch his breath. Despite his injuries being healed from the food he consumed for some strange reason, his body was still pretty exhausted.

Ammy licked the boy's cheek then used her Celestial Brush to cut the peach down. Once it fell to the ground, a burst of vegetation erupted, blanketing the lifeless earth into a land similar to something out of a paradise.

"Wow! The village's been restored!" Issun exclaimed with amazement. "Sakuya came through big time! She really was protecting the village!" A pervy look crossed the little man's face. "But I sure wish I coulda spent some more time in her kimono, if ya know what I mean!"

"Pervert!" Zero glared at the 'bug', who shamelessly chuckled.

"Sticks and stones." He replied in a sing-song tone.

Ammy barked at Zero, who stood back up, slinging his sword onto his back.

"Okay, okay, I'm coming." The young man popped his neck. 'Geez, that wolf acts like I'm her pup or something.' He spoke in his mind then followed after the canine.

However, the trio had no idea that they were being watched from a distance. A figure cloaked in black with glowing yellow eyes traced the three until they settled onto the boy. "So, that's the reincarnated Sorcerer…"

"What shall we do, Master?" A seductive female voice whispered next to the figure.

"For now, we shall follow them. If they can lead us to one of the fourteen pieces then we must take that chance if we are to recover them for Lord Orochi." The figure answered.

"I shall inform the others at once, Master." The female voice echoed before vanishing.

The figure spared a glance at Zero a few more times then disappeared into the shadows.

* * *

 **Nasuverse - Clock Tower**

The Kaleidoscope, Zelretch, watched these events turn out with a sly grin. He found this new project to be quite amusing out of every other result that he produced with his True Magic.

"This should be entertaining." The Dead Apostle grinned widely as the events in the world played out with many outlooks. Each one with a new possibility of ending until it all focused on one single battle between Zero wielding a sword encompassed by a bright golden light with Amaterasu facing off against the shadowed Orochi and a shadowy figure wielding a blade filled with malevolent dark energy.

* * *

 **A/N: That's the end of the first chapter. Apologies for the late commission but I've been pretty busy and I've been having writer's block for the last few months.**

 **Now the results are coming in more and more for the Saber-class Noble Phantasm. It seems Nero is winning but many others are following close behind. Keep up the votes because you never know who could win.**

 **Anyways, after the Saber has been chosen, the Archer class will be next. Now, voting isn't open yet but I've already got the chosen Servants who would be necessary for the human character.**

Arjuna

Atalanta

Billy the Kid

EMIYA

Robin Hood

Tristan

 **Yes, I know the list is pretty short this time but there aren't really a lot of cool and badass Archer-class Servants. Anyways, those are the current choices right now so if you have a suggestion then leave it in the review box.**

 **Please comment and review on this but no flames or harsh criticisms or I'll report you.**

 **If you ignored the warning, well, I warned you.**

 **Thank you all to my loyal supporters, you're all the reason I keep going.**

 **Peace out, everyone!**


	3. Kamiki Village, Sword, and Dark Knight

**What's up, everyone! This is GKC here bringing you the second chapter of 'Goddess's Hero', and I want to apologize for how late I was with this chapter; writer's block for the story. Arturia's and Nero's Noble Phantasm tied so it seems they will both be used as the main swords for our hero.**

 **Now, here's something interesting I got from someone. Why didn't I use Gilgamesh? Well, as much as I admire and respect his impressive arsenal along with his combat capabilities; I have to be honest, I don't like him. He's flashy, arrogant, childish, and overall, I hate his fucking guts. Plus, he's OP as all hell! I mean, the guy has a fucking Anti-World Noble Phantasm! How the shit is that fair!? Though adult Gilgamesh is pretty much out, I could use Ko-Gil.**

 **Anyways, despite all that, I've already got votes in on the Archer class and one is trouncing the others. Guess who. That's right, EMIYA, bitches! Now, you may call me a hypocrite since EMIYA uses Unlimited Blade Works which is a contrast to Gil's Gate of Babylon but the difference is that he makes copies while the Gate of Babylon fires true Noble Phantasms. The term, the copy is stronger than the original is complete bullshit. It's a complete crutch to EMIYA since he has to say a couple phrases in order to manifest copied weapons plus he also needs to know the structure of a weapon before he can construct it with his Noble Phantasm. Gil just has to issue a command and the NPs will just fire out. But you've gotta give EMIYA props because his NP is the only thing that can actually counter the Gate of Babylon.**

 **Now for the disclaimer: I do not own, except my OCs, Okami or Fate/stay night. All rights belong to their respective owners.**

 **Now let's get this party started… BEGIN!**

* * *

 **The Goddess's Hero**

* * *

 **Chapter 2:** Kamiki Village: The Sealed Sword and the Dark Warrior

* * *

 **Previously**

 _As the trio passed the portal, Zero laid against the tree to catch his breath. Despite his injuries being healed from the food he consumed for some strange reason, his body was still pretty exhausted._

 _Ammy licked the boy's cheek then used her Celestial Brush to cut the peach down. Once it fell to the ground, a burst of vegetation erupted, blanketing the lifeless earth into a land similar to something out of a paradise._

" _Wow! The village's been restored!" Issun exclaimed with amazement. "Sakuya came through big time! She really was protecting the village!" A pervy look crossed the little man's face. "But I sure wish I coulda spent some more time in her kimono, if ya know what I mean!"_

" _Pervert!" Zero glared at the 'bug', who shamelessly chuckled._

" _Sticks and stones." He replied in a sing-song tone._

 _Ammy barked at Zero, who stood back up, slinging his sword onto his back._

" _Okay, okay, I'm coming." The young man popped his neck. 'Geez, that wolf acts like I'm her pup or something.' He spoke in his mind then followed after the canine._

 _However, the trio had no idea that they were being watched from a distance. A figure cloaked in black with glowing yellow eyes traced the three until they settled onto the boy. "So, that's the reincarnated Sorcerer…"_

" _What shall we do, Master?" A seductive female voice whispered next to the figure._

" _For now, we shall follow them. If they can lead us to one of the fourteen pieces then we must take that chance if we are to recover them for Lord Orochi." The figure answered._

" _I shall inform the others at once, Master." The female voice echoed before vanishing._

 _The figure spared a glance at Zero a few more times then disappeared into the shadows._

* * *

 _ **Nasuverse - Clock Tower**_

 _The Kaleidoscope, Zelretch, watched these events turn out with a sly grin. He found this new project to be quite amusing out of every other result that he produced with his True Magic._

" _This should be entertaining." The Dead Apostle grinned widely as the events in the world played out with many outlooks. Each one with a new possibility of ending until it all focused on one single battle between Zero wielding a sword encompassed by a bright golden light with Amaterasu facing off against the shadowed Orochi and a shadowy figure wielding a blade filled with malevolent dark energy._

* * *

 **Present**

Zero yawned into his opened hand. "Boy, I feel sleepy…" He muttered to himself.

"Kid, tough it out. The village isn't that far so once we get there, we'll find an inn and stay there, alright?" Issun spoke from atop of Ammy's head, a brush in his tiny hand and a piece of paper in the other.

"Fine." The young man popped his neck to keep himself awake as he kept up with the white wolf.

The trio traveled down the path to the village, passing by a few of the red gates native in Japan. On the road, they found some sort of statue. Or what looked like one anyways. The 'statue' was a man dressed in a grey yukata with a strange straw helmet on with four lines cut in the front for sight and sandals. The man also seemed to be holding a flute.

"What in the world?" Issun wondered aloud.

"Um, this is pretty creepy." Zero cringed at the sight of the gray-skinned figure. "Shouldn't we continue on?"

"I don't remember there being a statue here…" Issun trailed on while Ammy looks at the person strangely. The small figure shrugged. "Well, whatever. Let's go talk to the villagers!"

While Ammy carried Issun down the left path, Zero took one last look at the 'statue' then followed after his companions. Despite the way the statue looked, the young man still felt creeped out as if someone were watching him.

Traveling up the stairs, the Ulrich heir neglected to notice the black shadow that emerged from the trees.

Once the trio climbed up the stairs, they passed over a bridge and stood on a large platform with a red swirling symbol on it.

"What the heck is this place? Is this supposed to be the village?" Zero looked over, seeing the wooden houses and the grasslands, all devoid of life as if a blanket of darkness still covered the land.

"I've got a bad feeling about this." Issun spoke, not really liking the blackened skies. "Kamiki Village is supposed to be famous for its scenic beauty. I wonder what's going on down there?"

Ammy tilted her head then looked up at the sky. Feeling as if she had figured out what to do while Zero looks down at the village.

The young man looked back at his two companions. "Let's head down there. We might be able to find some villagers around the place."

The white wolf nodded in acknowledgement as the trio left the platform to explore the village, hoping to find more people if they're not already gone from the place.

Once the small group entered the premises, they were met with many frozen stone statues of what could be the villagers.

"Okay, this is getting a little too creepy for my tastes." Zero frowned, cautiously reaching towards the hilt of his sword.

Soon, a loud roar echoed in the sky. "Not again!?" Issun exclaimed, jumping in fright. "That's not one of those smaller monsters that're lurking about. A roar like that's gotta belong to somethin' much bigger. Let's hurry up and find somebody with a pulse around here"

Nodding, Ammy trotted off with Zero keeping up with her. He was already irritated enough by being left behind by the wolf, he'll be damned if that happens again. Along the way, they found another one of those mirrors which the white canine used to save their progress. The Ulrich heir was still confused on what that was supposed to mean.

No matter how many times they searched, there was no one in the village that seemed to be moving. The human and wolf entered houses and shops to find more people but each search turned up nothing.

Zero checked on another stone body that laid on a bed. He tried shaking the villager awake but they were unresponsive.

"No good. This one's not movin'." Issun stated grimly. "Everyone here was perfectly fine just a few hours ago! There's definitely something strange goin' on around here. The village is back, but what's up with this dark sky?"

Zero rubbed his chin. "Maybe it has something to do with Orochi…" He wondered quietly.

"Maybe it's dark outside the village, too!?" Issun exclaimed loudly. "Let's find some high ground so we can take a look!"

A small trip later, the trio stood on the platform that overlooked the village once more.

The wandering artist gazed up at the sky. "This is bad…" He muttered. "The sun's not even shining. It's as black as night as far as the eye can see."

Zero took this time to lean against the railings for a quick rest. He really needed to work on his leg muscles.

"And not a single villager can move a muscle…" Issun continued. "Is it some kind of curse? Did a monster do this? It's not gonna stay like this forever, is it?"

Ammy yawned, not really answering the tiny man's question.

The Ulrich heir thought about it and realized that the only way the darkness could be lifted is if the sun were out.

All of a sudden, a bright crimson sun appeared directly in the sky. The light from the large star fought the darkness away to reveal the bright blue sky.

"Wh-Wh-What the!?" Issun exclaimed.

"Holy crap!" Zero shouted in surprise.

The 'bug' looked up in thought. "Hm… Come to think of it, your name IS Amaterasu!" He bounced on the wolf's head. "That's the name of the sun god!"

"It's probably just a coincidence." The brown-haired boy muttered.

Ammy barked at Zero. The expression on her face could very well be along the lines of amusement.

"Wow! You're no run-of-the-mill god, that's for sure!" Issun complimented the white wolf. "The flowing brush is like music from the heavens. That's a line from one of my grandfather's poems. He felt a skilled artist was like a musician of shape and color."

The human hummed in agreement then stood up from his spot while using his katana as support. "Let's go check if the villagers are alright." He voiced his concern to his companions.

"Good idea, kid." The 'bug' bounced, the glow around him shining a bit brighter.

"Hm? Who are you!?" An elderly voice exclaimed in surprise, drawing the trio's attention onto a short old man in a grayish-blue yukata. He carried a walking stick that looked more like a branch. He was bald with grey hair covering his eyelids and a long beard flowing down to the ground. His body had been bent forward with his left arm on his back as if it were a way to support his spine. The old man also seemed to be bouncing an orange fruit on his head.

 _ **Village Elder**_ **Mr. Orange**

"A white wolf!?" Mr. Orange exclaimed in surprise then took a glance at Zero. "And a foreigner as well!? Not the ones who fought that terrible creature with Nagi!?" His old eyes landed on Amaterasu. "You couldn't possibly be the legendary Shiranui! No, it can't be…"

Zero rolled his eyes. "Why bring up something that I'm obviously not." He muttered.

The old man suddenly realized something. "Oh, forgive me. Where are my manners, my name is Mr. Orange. I am the elder here in Kamiki Village."

"A pleasure to meet you, sir." Zero stood up and bowed politely. "My name is Zero Ulrich. I suppose you could say that I'm a traveler of sorts."

"Ah, I see, I see. Tell me, boy. Is this wolf here your companion?" The elder looked up at the foreigner.

Zero chuckled nervously. "I guess you can say that." He replied.

"Well, I must say, your wolf does certainly look a lot like that statue of Shiranui." Mr. Orange complimented with a small grin on his face despite the fact it was hidden by his abnormally long beard. "On the other hand, it doesn't look quite as smart…"

Ammy's ears shot up in surprise, seemingly taking offense for being called dumb. She lowered herself on all four paws and growled menacingly at the old man, who jumped in shock.

"Wh-Wh-Whoa!" He exclaimed, a cold sweat dropping from his bald head. "No need to growl like that. Can you really understand what I'm saying?" Mr. Orange's tired old eyes gazed expectantly at the white wolf. "Well, I'm not one to mince words. I just state the facts."

Zero got down on one knee by his furry companion, running his hand through her snow white fur. "It's okay, girl. I'm sure Mr. Orange didn't mean to question your intelligence."

However, further away from the heroes, a trio of green imps looked upon their prey with a hidden gleam behind their masked eyes. The demons descended from the cliff with a hankering for human flesh.

"Hm?" Mr. Orange placed a hand on the orange atop his head. "What's this sudden chill down my spine?"

Zero blinked a few times in bewilderment until he noticed Ammy was still growling, only she wasn't doing it at the old man but at something else; something evil. The young man quickly grasped the handle of his sword, pulling a few inches out as the stainless steel glinted in the sunlight.

"Here they come, you two..." Issun informed the wolf and foreigner. "Those are the monsters that've been plaguing these lands." The tiny man seemed to bounce in righteous anger. "They sneak into villages and cause all sorts of trouble!" The 'bug' hopped onto the bridge of Ammy's muzzle and unsheathed his tiny katana blade. "Step aside, furball! This is a job for my trusty sword, Denkomaru!"

"How exactly are you gonna fight with that tiny thing?" Zero deadpanned.

A burning red aura surrounded Issun as he bounced angrily at the human. "Don't insult my blade!"

The three green imps leaped into the air, Ammy mimicking the act only she grabbed the collar of Mr. Orange's kimono with her jaws and swung him to strike all three demons away. Tossing the old man away, the white wolf leaped into battle. Zero seemed a bit apprehensive at the prospect of using an elder as a blunt weapon but ignored it as he charged ahead to face the imps.

Once the barrier erected, Ammy used her Divine Instrument to bludgeon the first of the imps. It screeched in pain but otherwise held on. Zero fully unsheathed his o-katana and ran towards the other two demons, releasing a battle cry as he swung the curved blade to remove the second imp's head but it quickly stopped the human by bringing up its bamboo flute to parry the biting steel away.

"Little bastard!" The Ulrich heir growled in irritation, lashing out with a kick to his opponent's side. The imp easily avoids the human's limb then hits Zero directly in the chest with its flute, a grunt of pain escaping the young man's lips. His growing frustration of being bested by such a small but agile creature was getting the better of him. The imp leaped at the boy with its claws ready to bleed him dry but Zero took this chance to grab the demon by the neck, eliciting a shocked choke from it. "Now die!" He plunged his blade deep into the imp's chest, black ichor spilling onto the ground as it released one last pitiful groan before turning solid grey and exploding into smoke.

Ammy used her Divine Instrument, swinging the weapon against her own foe. Three strikes was all it took as the imp was knocked straight into the air. With a wave of her Celestial Brush, the green imp was bisected right in half from the waist. Releasing one last screech of pain, it disintegrated into a bed of flowers.

The duo set their sights on the last of the green imps, who nervously backed away in fear.

A wicked grin appeared on Zero's face as he popped his knuckles rather loudly. "You're the last one. Are you gonna fight us by yourself like a true demon or cower like a rat? Either way, these are the last few seconds in which you get to live."

Deciding to live to fight another day, the barrier dropped as the green imp quickly fled, leaving the wolf and human by themselves.

"Ha! Serves those hoodlums right! Don't mess with Denkomaru!" Issun bragged openly, bouncing on Amaterasu's head.

"You didn't really do anything." Zero deadpanned, placing his sword back in its scabbard.

Glowing red with anger, the wandering artist bounced on top of Ammy's muzzle. "Wanna say that to my face, kid!?"

"I would if I could even see you, bug." The young man snickered as he helped Mr. Orange up onto his feet. "You alright?"

"Yes, thank you, lad." The old man nodded graciously.

After the demons had been defeated, a small lake seemed to glow with life. Issun bounced atop of Ammy's head. "Wow! You really get aggressive when you're mad, don't ya?" The little man commented before small orbs entered the wolf's body. "Hey, you got yourself some **Praise**. And look!" He gestured to the spring. "See how that dried-up spring began flowing again?"

Amaterasu released a small croon.

"That's because ridding an area of monsters restores the gods' power to the land. People call it **Divine Intervention**." Issun explained. "The more you restore the land to it's natural beauty, the more Praise you'll get. It's the source of your power. Few people believe in gods these days, and that may weaken you, but if you try real hard, your true power just might shine through! Plus, you've got Zero to help as well."

Meanwhile, Zero decided to converse with Mr. Orange. "I know this is a rather stressful situation for you right now, but could you tell me about the sword sealed by the Konohana Tree?" He asked.

"And why would you want to know about that, lad?" The old man questioned, suspicion radiating around his withered body.

"Well, would you believe me if I said that I'm the reincarnation of the Foreigner?" The young man awkwardly chuckled, rubbing the back of his head.

The old man raised his wrinkled brow. "Hmm, while it wouldn't be further from the truth, proof is all that is needed in my eyes."

Zero thought about on how he could convince Mr. Orange until he noticed the pendant that the King of the Shinto Gods had blessed upon him. "What about this? This was granted to me by Izanagi himself."

With a withered stare, the old man gave the item in question an inquisitive gaze before glancing up at the young man. "Hmm, my eyesight may be a bit terrible but there is no denying the presence I feel from this pendant. Your words hold some merit of truth, child. I shall consider your request. For now, please, have a look around the village."

Smiling, the brunette bowed in respect to Mr. Orange. "Thank you, sir. You have my eternal gratitude."

"Think nothing of it, my boy." Mr. Orange nodded.

"Oi, kid!" Issun's tiny voice shouted, drawing Zero's attention. "Let's go! I'm showing you and furball around the village. Trust me, you'll like the place."

Nodding, the human followed after his companions down to the awakened village. Not having noticed the bequizzled look on Mr. Orange's wrinkled face.

* * *

 **Meanwhile…**

The green imp that had fled from Amaterasu and Zero was now kneeling in submission before its master. Sweat trickled down every pore in its body, not daring to look at the disappointed almost bloodthirsty expression on its master's face.

"So not only do you fail to locate the sword but you cowered before the might of a weakened god and a child?" The smooth velvet voice of a young man echoed as the black-cloaked figure stepped toward the pitiful creature. An aura of dominance and rage coursing around the figure's form.

"My Lord, I beg your forgiveness!" The imp pleaded, bowing its head lower to the ground. It could practically feel the murder in the figure's stare. "I had no idea that the wolf and the human would be stronger than we believed!"

Silence was all that greeted the demon.

Metallic footsteps drew closer towards the imp, who shook in utter terror at the prospect of being killed by its master. Once the clinking noises stopped, practically right in front of the imp, the voice of the figure whispered into its ear. "Very well. I shall spare your life."

A moment of reprieve managed to calm the imp's former terror…

...For now.

"However, that doesn't mean that my companions are quite merciful. Oh Berserker." The figure called out, reigniting the fear in the imp's hidden eyes.

"No! Master! Anything but him! Have mercy on me!" The imp begged, pleaded, and cried as thunderous steps approached the sniveling demon.

A large callous hand clasped around the imp's head, its muffled whimpers barely heard amongst the wind.

"Kill the coward, Berserker." The figure ordered, their tone edging towards boredom.

Without any hesitation, the hand grips the head of the demon tight, crushing it into a bloody pulp as black ichor dripped onto the ground. Berserker wordlessly tosses the corpse aside as shadows consumed the remains.

The figure patted the large being's form. "Excellent work, Berserker. I knew having you around would be fortuitous." Yellow eyes glanced at another figure. "Assassin, I believe it's time for me to have a little fun with this new 'hero', don't you think?"

"I see no problem in that, Master." A seductive female voice replied.

"Good, I won't be long. Who knows, this boy might actually prove to be interesting. If not, well, one less problem to deal with." The cloaked figure melted into the shadows.

Time to begin the hunt…

* * *

 **Kamiki Village**

Zero, wordlessly, followed Issun riding atop of Amaterasu's head. The villagers all glanced at him warily due to his foreign nature but when they discovered that he can speak in their language, they all immediately treated him and his companions kindly.

Currently, the young man sat inside of the village inn, a plate of rice balls and a cup of hot tea in front of him. In traditional Japanese culture, it was always respectful to remove one's footwear in another's house. After removing his boots, Zero quietly ate his meal in peace. Ammy and Issun took off to who knows where but the owner of the inn was quite a generous man.

As he munched away on his lunch, a sudden chill ran up his spine. It felt as if something terrible was going to happen. But what?

Shrugging, he finished off the rice ball in his hand then grabbed the cup of tea to wash down the taste. Once finished, he offered a small prayer to Kami then dropped a few yen as payment and left the inn to explore more of the village. The innkeeper offered him a dark grey kimono and a black haori to wear after his jacket and shirt were destroyed. He accepted it graciously.

With the o-katana placed on his back, the European noticed out of the corner of his eye a rather lovely woman pulling what he guessed is some form of wheat. She wore a cream and light red kimono that fully covered her slim form. Her face had a sort of girlish look but her dark hair was rather strange, it looked like a comb. She also wore a sort of headgear that Zero recognized as something for those that make sake.

The woman seemed to have noticed him and smiled beautifully at the foreigner. "Hello, you must be the owner of that fine looking white wolf that came by! What's your name?" She asked softly.

Zero couldn't help the red bleeding through his cheeks. "Um, Z-Zero Ulrich." He stuttered, bowing politely.

The woman giggled. "Mine's Kushi. It's a pleasure to meet you."

 _ **Sake Brewer**_ **Kushi**

"The pleasure is all mine." The half-blood grinned after stemming his blush. "So, are you working the fields?" He asked.

"Oh, why yes, I am. Funny, Issun spoke the same thing when he and the wolf came by." Kushi tilted her head curiously only to smile. "Anyways, this is where I grow the rice for making my sake, you know."

"That's cool." Zero nodded in understanding.

The sake brewer suddenly deflates. "But I have to manage the harvest all on my own. It's hard work. Maybe I should have Susano give me a hand again this year."

"I could help you." The young man offered.

"Really! You'd do that for me?" Seeing the boy nod, Kushi hugged him tightly. "Oh, thank you so much!"

"You're welcome…" Zero choked. The woman had a really strong grip. "You're crushing my ribs though."

"Oops, sorry." Kushi quickly released the heir of the Ulrich fortune and bowed apologetically.

"It's alright. Let's get to work, shall we?" He stood back up, massaging his bruised chest but wrote it off with a grin.

For the next hour or so, Zero and Kushi harvested rice. Although, the Ulrich heir had never done something like this so he had to be assisted by the sake brewer but eventually, he picked up on the flow and managed to gather quite an amount.

Once done, the young man released a tired breath as he sat on the dry earth. "I didn't expect that to be so exhausting."

"Well, it is what I'm expected to do in my job." Kushi giggled.

"My respect for you in doing something like this has risen greatly." Zero stated.

The young woman smiled widely at him. "You do me a great honor with your words, Mr. Ulrich."

"Please, we're friends now, call me Zero." The half-blood chuckled before he remembered something. "Oh yeah, who's this Susano person you were talking about?"

"Susano's a neighbor of mine. He's a little unusual, but…" Kushi trailed, a reminiscent smile on her face.

By Zero's guess, there was definitely some history going on there.

Realizing she had paused in their conversation, the sake brewer continued. "He goes around with a huge sword slung over his shoulder. He's always practicing with it. They say he's a direct descendant of our legendary hero, Nagi. And he loves his sake, too. He often pops around here to buy it."

Now this form of information was quite interesting indeed. If it was true then he could be meeting a hero in the making.

His blue eyes glanced up at the sky, noticing that the sun was starting to set. "Darn, I better be hitting the road and meeting up with my companions." Zero turned his attention back on Kushi. "It was nice meeting you, Ms. Kushi. I hope I can be of assistance for you when next we meet." He bowed politely.

Said woman giggled at the boy. "Make sure to say hello when you see Susano. He could use a friend, I should think. He's always on his own." She sends a look at the sword on the European's back. "And maybe someone to help him practice with his swordsmanship."

 _ **Zero has made a connection with Kushi!**_

Nodding in thanks, the young man waved a final goodbye to Kushi then took off towards the inn where his eyes settled upon a napping Ammy and a bored Issun.

"About time you got back, kid! Where the heck were you?!" The 'bug' exclaimed in annoyance.

"Just helping around the village. Where were you?" Zero questioned, folding his arms as he sat on the steps by Amaterasu.

Issun puffed out his chest. "We were also helping out by taking care of demons."

Ammy yawned then laid her head upon the young man's lap, who massaged and stroked her canine ears much to her delight.

"Any luck finding the tree?" The brunette absently asked.

"From what the villagers are saying, the Sealed Sword as it is called can only be wielded by one whose soul is pure and loyal." Issun replied, hopping atop of the white wolf's muzzle. "Guess that foreign hero's weaponry has a mind of their own."

"Hmm, well, we can worry about this tomorrow. I'm exhausted." Zero stood up (much to Ammy's dismay) then entered the inn with Ammy and Issun following close behind.

* * *

 **Nighttime**

After a small dinner, Issun and Ammy had retired into the room that they along with Zero shared with to sleep. As for the young man, he sat upon the steps once more, gazing upon the full moon. His thoughts trailing back to home.

Did his family know that he was missing? Where they searching for him?

…

Did they even care?

He shook his head, foregoing any sort of negative emotions that could potentially ruin his good mood. "Nah, besides, this is what I wanted anyways. A way to be a hero."

Still, why did Zelretch chose him in the first place? Why was he so special?

"A beautiful night, don't you think?" A voice spoke, forcing the boy to jump.

Zero looked up, finding a strange boy standing atop of the roof. He had short snow white hair, pale yellow eyes, and ghostly pale skin. His outfit consisted of a white kimono, gray hakama pants, white tabi, and wooden sandals. Despite the Eastern clothing, the boy looked very much like a Westerner.

"Who the hell are you?" Zero asked, suspicious.

"Me? I'm nobody important." The boy waved off his suspicions. "But I'm merely here to tell you that if you don't hurry, that Heroic Spirit you are so intent on acquiring will soon be taken from you."

Zero stood up, hand placed on the grip of his sword. "How do you know that?!" He demanded, his tone vicious.

"How?" The boy cracked a wicked smile down at the European. "Sorry, that's my little secret."

Growling, the brunette quickly stormed after, rushing to grab his boots, and followed the path up to the Konohana Tree. Forgetting to wake his two companions, he foolishly rushed up to the find the sword in the stone.

Meanwhile, the mysterious boy on the roof smirked deviously, a red mark on the back of his hand glowed viciously. "You know what to do." He spoke quietly.

A dark presence appeared behind him, a wordless nod, then it disappeared once more.

* * *

 **Konohana Tree**

A heavy pant escaped Zero's lips. He had sprinted for a good five minutes all the way up to the tree. If it was true, the sword in the stone should be somewhere around the tree.

"I seriously need to get in shape." He muttered to himself then began his search.

Every nook and cranny of the tree was scoured but so far, Zero couldn't find even the shape of a sword.

"Where the hell is this damn thing!?" The young man exclaimed in irritation. Seriously, just how bloody hard is it to find a stupid sword?!

"Look at what we have here." A gruff man's voice spoke, drawing Zero's attention. The one who had spoken to the boy was a man possibly in his late twenties or early thirties with long spiky silver hair, blood red eyes, a short yet full beard, and sickly pale skin. He was clad in vicious, malevolent-looking dark grey steel armor with spikes and claw-like additions fixated on separate pieces and a bloody tattered red cloak wrapped around his pauldrons. In his hand was an intricate spear with a wicked rigid edge with burning orange markings.

The boy could feel a dangerous bloodlust from the man. "Something I can help you with?" He asked.

"Well, actually, you can. Tell me, boy. Have you ever committed a sin?" The man smirked, shouldering his spear.

Zero tensed, his hand hovering over the hilt of his blade. "That depends on the sin."

The man chuckled. "I suppose you have a point, boy." He bears his spear down on the young man. "In any case, you'll have to forgive me but I must kill you now." In a burst of speed, the dark knight appeared in front of Zero with a predatory grin.

"Shit!" Instinctively, he raised the scabbard of his katana just as the rigged speartip slashed at him. However, the power behind the blow nearly shattered Zero's arms. It was impossible for a normal human to have such strength…

...A normal human?

Zero's eyes widen in shock. "You're a Heroic Spirit!" He exclaimed, stepping back to retreat from the Servant.

"Correct, my friend, I am the Servant Lancer as you can guess by my spear." The white-haired Servant smirked, twirling his weapon between his clawed fingers. "You've got quite the impressive reflexes. A shame you must die by my hand."

Gritting his teeth, Zero unsheathed his sword. He wasn't going to fool himself into thinking he could beat a Servant especially one of the three knight classes. But it's better than nothing. "We'll see who dies first, Lancer!"

Lancer's smirk widened a fraction. "I like your spirit, boy. Very well, I'll grant you a warrior's death."

Both warriors entered a battle stance. They glared at one another for a fraction of a second before they lunged at each other, clashing their weapons in a show of strength as thunder cracked above them in the heavens.

* * *

 **Kamiki Village**

Amaterasu's ears twitched. She lifts her head up, finding the mat in which Zero slept was empty. Strange, where could he be? Yawning, the white wolf stood up on her haunches then trotted out of the inn, leaving Issun to peacefully rest in his own bed.

The goddess in wolf form had no idea why the boy was special but something inside of her told the canine that the foreigner could be trusted. She actually liked the way he would dote on her as well especially when he scratched behind her ears. That felt invigorating.

 _SKREE_

A sound reached her sensitive canine ears. Amaterasu stood up on her haunches and looked around but it didn't seem to be close. No, it was further away…

It sounded like… clashing metal?

The white wolf stormed out of the inn with a burst of speed; her nose caught Zero's scent on the wind along with another scent that smelled like a mixture of blood and darkness.

That meant Zero was in danger! Ammy took off like a speeding arrow towards the direction of his scent.

The smell of blood had reached her nostrils. It was close…

A twinge of fear actually wrenched its way into her heart. Her speed picked up, trailing grass and flowers that magically sprouted from the earth.

It didn't take her long to reach the tree. The wolf's eyes landed on a devastating sight.

A man with long wild white hair in dark sinister armor wielding a wicked rigid edge spear. Zero had so many cuts on his body that it was difficult to tell which were serious and which were shallow. Not only that, the evil-looking man was toying with the boy.

"Ah, I see the mutt graces us with her presence." The spearman smirked maliciously as his blood red gaze landed on the white wolf. "Will you entertain me as well?"

Ammy growled threateningly at this new foe.

"Lancer! Your fight is with me!" Zero yelled; his legs wobbled as he tried to keep his stance secured but his injuries made it rather difficult to focus.

"Calm yourself, boy. You will die soon enough." Lancer chuckled darkly then quickly raised the shaft of his weapon to parry away Amaterasu's mirror. "Interesting."

The white wolf continued her attack, unleashing a barrage with her mirror against the Servant, who was effortlessly parrying and deflecting Ammy's attacks practically easily.

"Come now, my furry friend. Is that all you can do?" Lancer taunted earning him a snarl from the canine as she pounced at him to tear out his throat but didn't count on a black-red blade to cut across her chest. She released a pained whimper as she landed beside Zero in a heap.

"Ammy!" The boy called out in horror, grabbing a hold of Amaterasu with one arm. He glared dangerously at the newcomer. "Who the hell are you!?"

The newcomer was decked out in black armor all of which was detailed with pulsating blood red lines that reached all the way to their face. Said figure looked to be male or female with a half-mask covering their eyes. Pale blonde hair tied in a bun along with pale skin. In their right hand was a sword entirely made of black and red metal strangely enough. The shape and size looked exactly the same as the Sword of Promised Victory wielded by the King of Knights. However, instead of it being the beautiful and unmatched gold and blue sword that King Arthur held, it was a bastardized version tainted by darkness and blood.

"Call me Morgan the Dark Knight." They spoke in a unisex voice.

 _ **Dark Knight**_ **Morgan**

Zero blinked once then twice. "The fuck you think you are, Batman?"

"Shut up! It's hard coming up with an evil name!" The black knight comically yelled with a large tick mark on their forehead. Morgan quickly calmed themselves then stoically shouldered their blade on their shoulder. "In any case, I'm here to see how strong the legendary Hero from the West and the sun goddess are. Have to say, I'm sorely disappointed."

The Ulrich heir growled at Morgan and Lancer. "Damn you!"

"It'll be more merciful to kill you both now. Saves me the trouble in having to deal with you in the future anyways." The dark knight shrugged, bringing the dark blade to bear once more with Lancer following their movements.

Zero was caught between a cat and a brick wall. Fighting Lancer was bad enough but he has to deal with two warriors who were definitely more experienced when it came to fighting. Ammy was wounded and she couldn't do anything to help right now. What is he supposed to do? If he doesn't do something, he'll die…

A small whimper from the injured wolf drew his attention. The brunette looked down at his friend with worried eyes. The wound on her chest was shallow and seemed to hurt a lot. Onyx black orbs stared back into ocean blue. From there, Zero could see the unspoken message that Ammy was sending him. She wanted him to flee while she fought; she even tried to move but was having difficulty doing that task.

Seeing this act of courage ignited something in Zero's heart. He gently laid the wolf down on the grass then took hold of the o-katana given to him by Sakuya and held it in a two-handed sword stance. "You won't stop me! I was brought into this world to save it from Orochi and I won't leave it to its fate because of a couple of fake knights!"

Morgan smirked. "You've got heart, I like that. It'll look even better once I tear it out of your chest."

"Bring it!" The boy lunged at the two with his sword raised overhead to cut down the black knight only to gag when an armored fist struck him in the stomach. He collapsed onto the ground; his insides were burning as if they were on fire.

"Well, I brought it and I'm sorely disappointed." Morgan flexed their hand, popping the knuckles of their hand. "And they say you are the Chosen Hero to wield the power of the legendary Heroes. How pathetic."

Once he managed to get his breath back, Zero released a fit of coughing that had him almost hyperventilate.

Was this the end…?

Was this how he was going to die?

"Now it's time for you to- ARGHHH!" Morgan exclaimed in pain as Ammy lashed out, biting her pearly white canines down on the black knight's unprotected right arm. "Get off me, you mutt!" But the white wolf did not relent, only crushing her jaws down tighter on the knight's flesh, tasting blood on her tongue.

Lancer went to assist his comrade, forgetting about the lone boy that crawled toward the Konohana Tree.

The young man reached out to the tree, silently pleading for anyone to help him. He didn't want to die. He didn't want his friend to die. He needed power to save them.

All of a sudden, a bright golden light emerged from the tree as if hearing the boy's pleas. This drew the attention of the two dark knights and even the white wolf.

"The sword…" Morgan muttered in surprise. "It's free!"

The bright golden light shot towards Zero, entering his very core as a rush of power filled his entire being.

"No!" The dark knight exclaimed in frustration. Before Morgan could stop the boy, Amaterasu tackled the knight to the ground then quickly leaped back to avoid Lancer's spear from piercing her hide.

The white wolf growled threateningly at the two foes as she defended the golden light with her own life on the line.

* * *

 **Zero**

The young man's eyes shot open as he found himself in two separate settings.

One with a magnificent castle and another with the Roman coliseum in prime condition.

"Where am I?" He wondered aloud.

" _What is it that you desire?"_

A woman's voice spoke to Zero as he looked around in utter surprise. "Who said that!?" He demanded.

" _What would you do if you were granted power?"_

Another woman spoke, slightly frustrating the Westerner in being ignored.

"Answer me! Stop playing these games!" He yelled in annoyance.

Apparently, neither of these bodiless women would give him an answer unless he responded to their question.

"I seek… to protect my friends!" Zero declared passionately.

From out of these different landscapes, two figures emerged, appearing before the startled boy with confidence and regality. Both of them were blonde women with varying shades of green for eyes. If one looked close enough, they could be mistaken for twins. Even their outfits were of opposite colors. The girl with the steely gaze wore azure blue covered by silver armor themed to look like a knight. The other girl wore red and white which showcased a good amount of her skin with pieces of golden armor placed on her own outfit.

Zero knew who these two girls really were… "Arturia Pendragon and Nero Claudius…" He spoke with awe.

Nero, as her usual boisterous self, puffed her chest with pride. _"Umu, it's great that you finally recognize us, Praetor!"_

Arturia rolled her eyes at her opposites attitude. _"Have some dignity for goodness sake."_

" _Bleew!"_ Nero stuck her tongue out at her fellow Saber's face, much to her annoyance.

"Um… Excuse me, but what the hell is going on!?" Zero exclaimed. "I thought there was only supposed to be one sword!"

" _Normally, that would be the case. Our original Master was powerful, yes, but this has never happened before."_ The King of Knights explained. _"It would seem that despite being their descendant, you possess strength that even_ they _never had when they were alive."_

"Eh?"

" _What she means, Praetor, is that the sword in the stone was originally supposed to be just one. However, you've been blessed with prana reserves so great that reality has to split the sword in twine for it to function in the physical plane for you."_

"So basically, I can wield two swords at once?" He asked after thinking it over.

" _Yep/Yes."_ Both Sabers answered bluntly.

"Oh…" The boy blinks his eyes. "That's pretty fucking cool."

Arturia coughs into her gauntlet. _"Yes, in a manner of speaking."_ She looked at her new Master with narrowed slits. _"But make no mistake, Zero Ulrich. If you misuse the power that we grant you, the consequences will be dire."_

Well, when she says it like that, it kinda kills the fun in wielding a legendary sword…

"So, how does this work exactly? Do I have to say some kind of chant or…?" Zero wondered aloud, lightly rubbing his cheek.

" _Something like that, umu."_ Nero looked… apologetically at him before she summoned a jagged red sword with Arturia doing the same thing as she summoned a blade of glowing yellow light.

"Uh, why are you looking at me like- GAH!" Before he could react in time, the two Sabers plunged their swords deep into his chest…

...and then came the power.

* * *

 **Konohana Tree**

Amaterasu yelps as she lands on her side once again. Her once pristine white coat dyed scarlet with her blood. Her dark orbs glared dangerously at the two foes that were _far_ from human.

"I have to say, there are rarely any days in which I get pissed off…" Morgan comments as they, along with Lancer, stalk towards the injured goddess. "...but you've kept me from recovering the sealed blade and for that…" A dark glow emanates from the black knight's visor. "I'm going to tear you to shreds, you little bitch!"

Ammy directed her gaze towards the golden light in which the sword once rested. Her worries for the boy that she had come to care for had greatly increased. The goddess wished that he had taken her message to heart and ran for his life. But now…

She quickly flips back to avoid Lancer's jagged spear. The white wolf snarls at the smirking man.

"I'd pay better attention, sun goddess. If you don't, you'll die." The bloodstained warrior comments nonchalantly.

Ammy steeled herself for another fight. Her Divine Instrument at the ready to attack. She growled at the two knights with a challenge, daring them to attack her.

"Very well, it is time to end this little game!" Morgan smirks as they and Lancer lunged at the white wolf, their weapons glinting with a ferocity that could matched that of a demon.

Time seemed to slow down as the two knights closed in on Amaterasu. The sun goddess raising her hackles at her foes.

This seemed to be the end for our furry friend… until a pair of blades slashed at the knights, sending them careening back from the force.

"The hell!?" The dark knight exclaimed as they steadied themselves with their sword.

"What devilry is this?!" Lancer demanded, glaring at the opposition that dared to get in his way.

 _[Begin F/SN OST: Unmei no Yoru]_

Amaterasu looked upon the new figure with wide eyes. Despite being a goddess, she felt… insignificant to the warrior standing protectively in front of her.

A mop of spiky, black hair, light skin that gleamed in the moonlight, and a familiar pair of blue eyes that glimmered like sharpened steel. "It's alright, Ammy. You've done enough. Leave it all to me." Said the young man known as Zero Ulrich, who now wore an outfit clearly different than the one he had on before. A dark blue tunic that was covered by a silver chestplate that possessed ornate markings, a two-tailed red overcoat that covered the chest armor, silver spaulders, golden vambraces, black fingerless gloves, tan trousers, silver plate boots, and a golden circlet with a ruby red gemstone nestled on his forehead.

In his hands, he wielded two western blades. One was jagged and red with black accents while the other had a straight dual-edge with a unique golden-blue handguard that radiated the word 'glory'.

"Two!? How could there be two! There should only be one Noble Phantasm!" Morgan exclaimed, frustrated that the boy in front of him possessed such weapons.

Zero crossed both blades: Aestus Estus - The Original Flame and Excalibur - The Sword of Promised Victory. "Arturia, Nero, grant me your power!" With his declaration, two elemental auras formed over the swords. Fire for the Original Flame and wind for the Sword of Promised Victory.

"Lancer, kill him!" Morgan ordered, directing their dark blade at the transformed hero.

"Understood." With a brisk nod, the knight lunges at Zero, spear ready to skewer him once and for all.

With a swing of his swords, the young man sends a tornado of flames that forces Lancer to pull back. Even with his Magic Resistance skill, those flames were starting to burn even through his armor.

"You can't beat me." Zero stated, unaware that his blue eyes bled away to reveal crimson red that glowed with a fierce fire.

"We'll see about that, punk!" Morgan snarls, using a small Mana Burst to propel themselves towards the red-garbed warrior.

With unknown skill, Zero effortlessly blocks Morgan's attack, clashing Excalibur with the dark knight's own bastard copy.

Ammy watched in awe as the youth and the dark warrior engaged in a contest of blades. The sheer speed in which they were fighting was undeniably inhuman. Their swords flew with enough force that shockwaves ripped the very air. In essence, it was no longer a battle between humans but a fight between unnatural beings that radiated power.

The two knights lock blades once again. Crimson red eyes glaring into a faceless mask. The three swords grinding against each other started to burn with heat.

"Stupid brat!" Morgan growled.

"Great comeback. Got any better insults?" Zero remarked.

"How about I remove your head? Will you still be talking then?" The dark knight snarls, putting more strength into their sword.

"You could do that…" The foreign boy smirked. "But I'm wielding the power of two strong Heroic Spirits!" With a burst of prana, Zero broke the blade lock then kicked his opponent square in the chest, sending Morgan flying back.

"Dammit!" Morgan cursed, regaining their balance. However, they were met with the cold crimson eyes of Zero, who crossed his swords in front of him, channeling wind and fire prana into the blades.

" **Blazing Hurricane!"** The red-garbed knight declared, unleashing a rapid spin attack that looked like a fiery tornado crashing into the dark warrior, who cried out in agony from the sharp winds and burning flames. Ending his special move, Zero stopped on his heel, spinning fluently while holding both of his swords behind his back in a reverse hand style.

Morgan looked like utter hell. Their armor was rent and scratched with burns and gashes appearing all over their skin. The mask they wore started to chip until the left side broke off, revealing a sinister pale yellow eye that glimmered with rage.

"And to think I was actually afraid of losing to you." Zero remarked with a smug grin.

"Bastard! This isn't over. I'll be back!" Morgan vowed, glaring at the young man with killing intent. Once they finished their threat, the dark knight disappeared in a shower of black light particles with Lancer following soon after.

 _[End of song]_

Once the threat had passed, Zero released a breath, dispersing Excalibur and Aestus Estus. "God, that was exhausting…" He pants, feeling his body heavily drained.

Amaterasu came up to his side with a limp. She released a whimper, nudging her nose against his hand. Much to her delight, the boy pets and scratches behind her ears.

"Hey, Ammy," The youth sat down, feeling his legs give out. "Glad you're okay too." He smiled at the white wolf, taking special care not to touch her wounds. He reached into his pouch and took out the holy bone. "Here." He offers the treat to the sun goddess.

Seeing the offered snack made the wolf drool as she snatched up the bone into her hackles and devoured it in three bites. After swallowing the treat, she licked her lips, feeling her energy return to her. Ammy barks at the boy in thanks.

"You're welcome." He chuckles then openly laughs when the sun goddess starts licking his face. "Hey, cut it out! That tickles! Hahaha!"

In the back of Amaterasu's mind, she had almost been tempted to reveal her true form to save the boy, but realizing that he know possessed the power of the legendary warrior from another land made her worries dim. Admittedly, he _did_ looked quite dashing in that outfit…

* * *

 **Moon Cave**

Morgan returned to the cave in which Orochi dwelled. Their appearance doing nothing to damper their frustration with the reincarnation of the Foreign Hero.

"I swear, I will have my revenge on that brat." The dark knight snarls until they came upon the elemental chambers in which represented the heads of Orochi.

Morgan took a few steps then stopped, feeling the presence of the one that slumbered within the cave. In seconds, several shadowy heads emerged from the darkness, each of them possessing blood red eyes that glared down at the knight.

"Morgan," The first head spoke deeply. "Why have you returned to me, battered and scarred?"

The dark knight bowed their head in response. "Forgive my interruption, Orochi-sama. I tried to reclaim the legendary weapons of the Foreigner. However, it would seem their reincarnation has returned. Already he wields not one, but _two_ legendary blades."

The shadowy visage of Orochi rumbles with anger. "Curse that filthy human. Had I the chance, I would tear their body to shreds and devour their accursed soul." The serpent released a small sigh. "But it matters not. It is still too soon to worry about the mortal, even if he were to recover all of the Heroic Spirits, he can do nothing against my power."

"Then I shall make sure that he does not succeed." Morgan promised.

"No!" Orochi declared. "Not yet. You will have your chance, my apprentice. Until then, rest and train. I will have need of you for the coming ritual ahead."

Despite their irritation, the dark knight reluctantly bowed to their master. "As you wish, Orochi-sama." Morgan turned on their heel and left the chamber all together.

Orochi watched his apprentice leave then furrowed his eyes. _'So… history has once again repeated itself. Will that so-called Sun Goddess come to stop me? Or will she and her_ dear _hero fall before my power? The outcome will be positively… delightful…'_

* * *

 **A/N: Finally! I'm done with the chapter! I can't believe I put this story off for over a year. I'm deeply sorry about that. I had some major writer's block with this chapter. Please don't kill me.**

 **So, yeah, Zero's new form is called Saber Mode. As you would expect, it gives him the parameters of a Saber-class Servant. Not only that, but since the votes were tied between Arturia and Nero, he has both of their skills and abilities with a bit of his own flair as well.**

 **For every form he acquires, he gets his own skill set and special moves. Think of him as Dante from Devil May Cry wielding a Devil Arm. His style of fighting resembles Sora's Valor Form from Kingdom Hearts II.**

 **Saber Mode's moves are as followed:**

 **Blazing Hurricane:** Channels wind and fire mana into his swords then performs a rapid spin attack, mimicking a tornado shrouded in flames.

 **Emperor's Passion:** Delivers an upward slash with Excalibur, launching a foe into the air then leaps up and slams a charged Aestus Estus down on them with an overhead slash.

 **Knightly Blitz:** Slashes the enemy with rapid cuts from Excalibur then thrusts both swords forward and release a prana burst to send them back.

 **King's Decree:** Slams both blades down into the earth then releases a powerful burst of wind, sending many foes flying.

 **Flame of Promised Victory:** Combines both Excalibur and Aestus Estus together, maximizing their damage output and overflowing the blades with focused wind and fire mana. Strikes one time, delivering a powerful earth-shattering blow that destroys all foes. Consumes all prana.

 **Those are the techniques that Zero's Saber Mode knows. If you have any additions, you're welcome to tell me in the review box or in a PM.**

 **As I'm sure you know, EMIYA is already winning in the polls. Once the chapter comes along for the Archer Heroic Spirit to be retrieved, I will be putting up the poll for the Lancer.**

 **Please review and comment on this chapter. If there are any problems then please inform me at once. However, refrain from using flames or rude criticisms because I have a low tolerance for those.**

 **Peace out, everyone!**


End file.
